Didn't take long M. Platini By Martin Lipton 7 Jun 2012 22:31 Captain Van Bommel furious over abuse in Euro 2012 host city where the England squad are scheduled to stage a public session on Friday Holland players have been left outraged after they were racially abused during a pre-Euros training session in Poland. The Dutch are based in Krakow, close to Englandâs headquarters, and chants rained down on them at Wisla Krakowâs stadium as they prepared for Saturday's opening group game against Denmark. Roy Hodgsonâs side will hold a training session at their Polish base, in front of 3,500 invited spectators, on Friday. Dutch skipper Mark Van Bommel has threatened to walk off the pitch if his side suffer a repeat of the abuse that his black team-mates endured during their open session. On the squad's first lap of the pitch, around 500 Polish fans started a chorus of monkey chants, which became even louder at the end of the second circuit. Van Bommel led the squad to the other end of the stadium to escape the abuse, then launched a furious verbal assault accusing UEFA officials of trying to sweep the problem under the carpet. The former Bayern Munich and AC Milan midfielder, now back with first club PSV Eindhoven, said: âWhat happened is a real disgrace, especially after getting back from Auschwitz, that we were confronted with this. âWe will take it up with UEFA and if it happens on the pitch during a match we will talk to the referee and ask to leave the field.â UEFA officials and Dutch FA chiefs attempted to play down the incident but an infuriated Van Bommel added: âIf people say they didnât hear it, then they need to open their ears. âIf they did hear it and didnât want to hear it, then thatâs even worse.â The Wisla ground, the largest in Krakow, is around three miles from Englandâs training base at the Stadion Suche Stawy. FA chiefs have been determined to demonstrate their role as âgood touristsâ during their stay in Krakow. Skipper Steven Gerrard led Hodgsonâs squad as they attended a reception given by the Mayor of Krakow at the 19th Century Polish Art Gallery, close to their city centre hotel. The England players will also visit Auschwitz and the Schindler Museum to pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/hollands-black-players-racially-abused-867125
Perhaps Platini will now admit it is going on given that it is the Dutch and not us complaining. He as much as said we were making it up before. He'll probably just give them all as yellow card for refusing to train in the right place.
The behaviour of the local nut cases could derail the competition that draws European countries together. Personally I put it down to a misguided allocation of a class tournament to a second world country. God knows what will happen in the 2018 world cup if it is not stopped now. Platini and Blatter have a chance to stamp this out.
The whole thing makes a mockery of FIFA/UEFA's stance on racism. It's all well and good coming out with campaigns and slogans, but if they fail to address this and any further situations, it just exposes them for the money-grabbing idiots they really are. Blatter and Co have demonstrated time and again that they're only in it for themselves.
What I think about the Ukrainians and Poles attitude to other races who just happen to be better than these people is unprintable. I used to work with a Polish lad who left his home country to get away from the racists
Let's not forget these idiots are a minority, we too have a minority of racist idiots in this country (one of them an ex captain of England). After having seen and heard the incident I think the majority of the crowd attempted to drown out the monkey chants and for that they should be applauded.
Plat the " rhymes with " *%"!.....................just made it easier for the Racists, who now can do no wrong, Whilst the abused footballer can only take the fall, cant win whatever he does. and Platini is the future of our game...........................WELL THATS ABOUT RIGHT THEN.
